1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electrosurgical forceps. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a lock assembly for use with a variety of endoscopic electrosurgical forceps for sealing and/or cutting various tissue structures.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrosurgical instruments, e.g., electrosurgical forceps (closed type), are well known in the medical arts and typically include a housing, a handle assembly including a movable handle, a shaft and an end effector assembly attached to a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes jaw members configured to manipulate tissue (e.g., grasp and seal tissue). Typically, the electrosurgical forceps utilizes both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to effect hemostasis by heating the tissue and blood vessels to coagulate, cauterize, seal, cut, desiccate, and/or fulgurate tissue. Usually, one or more driving mechanisms, e.g., a drive assembly including a drive element, is utilized to cooperate with one or more components operatively associated with the handle assembly to impart movement to one or both of the jaw members. To facilitate clamping the jaw members onto tissue, one or more clamping springs (or other suitable device(s)) may be operably associated with the handle assembly, end effector and/or the driving mechanisms.
In certain instances, the movable handle may be configured to lock, via the clamping spring, the jaw members in a clamping position onto tissue disposed therebetween. This type of locking method, i.e., locking the movable handle in the closed position, transfers a portion of the locking force from the compressed clamping spring through the movable handle and to its locking point, i.e., the jaw members. Over time, however, what is typically referred to in the art as handle or lever “flex” changes the compression force of the clamping spring and, thus, reduces or greatly diminishes jaw clamping forces on tissue. In the instance where the jaw members are configured to grasp, clamp and, subsequently, seal tissue, this reduced clamping force on tissue provided by the jaw members may result in a non-uniform and/or ineffective tissue seal, which, in turn, may be deleterious to a patient.